Why Join/Renew 107IST? Let Me Count the Ways

I *LOVE* serving the 107IST. We do so much good, important work that I value. And so much of that work is only possible thanks to the generous support of members, who pay $25 each calendar year to support our vision and mission.

What are some of the reasons to join or renew? On Monday, I issued myself a challenge on social media to list these reasons:

Reminder: three weeks left to renew or sign up for @107ist membership! I never do this but for every ❤️ or ♻️this gets by the end of the work day I'll try to list a reason to join/benefit of membership/cool thing 107IST does. #RCTID#BAONPDXhttps://t.co/TyMF8rjiK0

Well, I got a pretty hefty response. By the time I was able to catch up, I was on the hook for at least 67 reasons to join or renew! The first fifty or so were off the top of my head, the rest I remembered when I looked through weekly newsletters and monthly committee reports:

(1) World class tifo. @107IST member dollars pay for 100% of the costs of those amazing displays you see by both @timbersarmy and @PDXRivetersSG #RCTID #BAONPDX

(2) The fanladen, which serves as a physical meeting space for so much of the planning we do as an organization. in 2011 we were still meeting in the side rooms of bars on Sunday afternoons. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(3) Game day ticket exchange for @timbersarmy, in an attempt to keep the beautiful game affordable. @107IST provides the space, personnel, & infrastructure to make it happen every game day. #RCTID

(4) Game day ticket exchange AND physical space for selling and storing merchandise for @PDXRivetersSG. #BAONPDX

(5) Coordination and necessary up front money for planning and carrying out travel for both @timbersarmy and @PDXRivetersSG, from the security calls to the ticket management to coordinating with local supporters in away venues #RCTID #BAONPDX

(6) Coordination with and support for our amazing regional supporter groups, whether it is to provide support for locally produced tifo for away games or a megaphone for local events for away supporters #RCTID #BAONPDX

(7) Support for @OPIPdx, a nonprofit that sprung directly from the roots of @107IST. Proceeds from TA ticket exchange go to support their work. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(8) Coordination of volunteering and donation drives for @oregonfoodbank at both the Portland and Beaverton locations #RCTID #BAONPDX

(9) Ongoing support for Oregon's foster children, both through renovating visitation rooms and through the "You Are Loved" scarf Buy One/Give One campaigns #RCTID #BAONPDX

(10) Support for immigrant and refugee youth & families through @IRCOnews donation drives and by paying for field space for soccer #RCTID #BAONPDX

(11) Support for the Gisele Currier Scholarship Fund, which this year distributed almost $20,000 in soccer scholarships of various kinds to youth soccer players in and around the Portland area #RCTID #BAONPDX

(12) Purchase of high school uniforms for high schools both in the Portland area and further away, including a high school in southern Oregon and another in southern Washington #RCTID #BAONPDX

(13) Advocacy with the front office on behalf of both @timbersarmy and @PDXRivetersSG. Some years don't have big issues on the table, others do. Either way, @107IST is at the table on behalf of supporter interests. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(14) Representation at the Independent Supporters Council, an organization that advocates for footy fans at all levels in North America and shares best practices across supporters from a variety of teams and leagues #RCTID #BAONPDX

(15) A strong stance in favor of human rights, whether it is a voice online or statements in the stands, advocating for basic human dignity for immigrants, refugees, people of color, LGBTQ, and other marginalized people #RCTID #BAONPDX

(16) Purchase, storage, care, and maintenance of game day flags and other small displays hung over rail banners. Say thank you to your local @107IST game day crew for the hard work they do on this one all year long #RCTID #BAONPDX

(17) Negotiating for the right to havesmoke in the first place, as well as actually using @107IST funds to pay for and to manage smoke for goal celebrations #RCTID #BAONPDX

(18) A permanent warehouse space that allows us to have a base for merch operations, which also fund some of the aforementioned activities #RCTID #BAONPDX

(19) A permanent tifo preparation space close to the stadium, which supports the creation of world class stadium displays for both MLS and NWSL matches #BAONPDX #RCTID

(20) @107IST organizes blood drives every year. In the last five years alone these blood drives have resulted in 327 successful donations. #BAONPDX #RCTID

(21) Support for@PDXbookbank, both in the form of regular book drives and in book cleaning and repairing sessions, to get books into the hands of as many children as possible #RCTID #BAONPDX

(22) Support for @StreetSoccerUSA, which included sponsoring a team to go to Philadelphia to participate in the Philadelphia Cup #RCTID #BAONPDX

(23) @107IST organizes Buy Your Capo A Pint for @timbersarmy capos, which raises money each year for @CampMeadowood #RCTID

(24) Buy Your Capo A Pint for @PDXRivetersSG, which raises money for Rock and Roll Camp for Girls #BAONPDX

(25) Support for Oregon Volunteer Firefighters who fought the fires in the Columbia River Gorge; support came through a unique QR code tifo campaign #RCTID

(26) @107IST supports @TimbersArmyCPR, a volunteer initiative that has trained over 700 people in CPR/AED/basic life support for free #RCTID #BAONPDX

(27) @107IST supports @Booked107, both with physical space for a library and with the organizational space for amazing book talks with the likes of authors Gwen Oxenham and Nick Davidson #RCTID #BAONPDX

(28) @107IST supports @SOORstate, both financially and by participating in the Unified Soccer Match and the Polar Plunge #BAONPDX #RCTID

(29) This year, @107IST has stepped up its coordination with Portland United Against Hate and participated with Good in the Hood #RCTID #BAONPDX

(30) @107IST supplies MANY volunteers to work the Oregon Brewers Fest, which in turn donates money back to the organization to support the activities listed above #BAONPDX #RCTID

(31) @107IST participates in the Walk to End Alzheimers, supporting Friends of Jimmy Conway #RCTID

(32) The NoPo neighborhood scarves raised funds for the Paint Paul project, which allowed for restoration of the Paul Bunyan statue #RCTID

(33) One of this year's match day drives collected art supplies for Dreaming Zebra, a local nonprofit supplies art and music materials free of charge to schools and community centers both in and around Portland and beyond #RCTID #BAONPDX

(34) Another match day drive collected donations for Rafael House, a local shelter and service organization that supports victims of domestic violence #BAONPDX #RCTID

(35) Still another match day drive collected goods for the Good Neighbor Center in Tigard, a shelter and service center for homeless families #RCTID #BAONPDX

(36) ANOTHER match day drive collected coats, hats, gloves and blankets for SnowCap, a service organization that provides food, clothing, and advocacy for low income people on the east side of town #BAONPDX #RCTID

(37) @107IST purchases TA and RCR match day tickets and donates them as raffle prizes for schools and other nonprofits as fundraisers #RCTID #BAONPDX

(39) @107IST donated money to support Off The Sideline, an Oregon nonprofit dedicated to promoting access for youth to team sports of all kinds #RCTID #BAONPDX

(40) @107IST donated money to support Alder Creek Middle School boys and girls, allowing for both teams to participate in indoor soccer this year #BAONPDX #RCTID

(41) In addition to adult community league play, @107IST organizes adult soccer tournaments, including the Donut Derby and the upcoming Winter Classic. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(42) Looking for other soccer to support? @107IST members have had prefunks at UP soccer games, along with designated GA sections at a discounted rate. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(43) You like other sports? @107IST peeps coordinate @timbersarmy Night at the Blazers, complete with scarf for those who are so inclined (Members, check the forums, this one is coming up again shortly!). #RCTID

(44) How about hockey? @107IST coordinates with @pdxwinterhawks for our Night at the Winterhawks. This year the Winterhawks are donating back $5 of every ticket to @107IST to support the things I've already listed above. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(45) Enlightened self interest is more your thing? Okay, let's talk partner discounts. @HOTLIPSpizza gives discounts on slices to @107IST members. On match days alone, my kids can make back the cost of their membership. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(46) How about those adidas passes? @107IST members regularly receive passes to the adidas employee store throughout the year. One pair of shoes will more than pay for your membership. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(47) Speaking of passes, you all know that if you sign up or renew before 1/1/18 you get a pass to the Nike employee store in January, right? Again, one visit will pay for the cost of your membership. #BAONPDX #RCTID

(48) But it isn't only about the partners, although they are awesome. It is also about the work we do together in the community. @107IST organizes work with @FriendsofTrees both preseason and post, planting trees in urban areas. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(49) This year @107IST also supported Street Roots through the Spread The Love scarf, sales of which raised money for the organization that provides both a voice and a means of support for Portland's homeless community. #BAONPDX #RCTID

(50) We also had a match day drive to support Janus, an organization who helps homeless youth. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(51) Working with Forest Grove senior Mya Kimberly, @107IST also ran match day drives to collect feminine hygiene products, both for Janus and for Portland Homeless Family Solutions. #BAONPDX #RCTID

(52) Nico Boskovic won a nat'l Odd Fellows essay contest to speak at the UN pilgrimage but was disinvited when they learned of his autism & communication disorder. @107ist hosted Nico & his family at a Timbers game. (Happy update, the nat'l org recanted & reinvited him) #RCTID

(53) @107ist provided both financial support and organizational guidance to Netrippers, a local LGBTQ friendly adult soccer org, as they made the leap into nonprofit status #RCTID #BAONPDX

(54) this year @107ist gave financial support to provide gear bags and coats for an elementary-school-aged soccer squad in Vancouver, WA #RCTID #BAONPDX

(55) @107ist supported @TimbersArmyCPR in participating in the American Heart Associations's Heart Walk, headed up by @107ist member @soccadad #RCTID #BAONPDX

(56) @107ist took donations of eclipse glasses to that Astronomers without Borders could redistribute them for use in viewing future eclipses in other countries. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(57) In addition to community soccer league play and tournaments, @107ist also supported open play nights for adults of all ability levels under the lights at Jefferson. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(58) @107ist volunteers in the photo pool volunteered their time, equipment, and expertise to provide for free, quality photo ops with some very special hardware for both @timbersarmy and @PDXRivetersSG. #RCTID #BAONPDX

(59) @107ist sponsored one of the coolest confluences of team/town/TA; we purchased futsal space for a friendly w/Minnesota supporters the weekend of the opening match, as well as for IRCO kids. The last 1/2 hour was a unified match w/TA, Loons, & refugee youth together #RCTID

(60) a Portland flag with messages of love and support traveled to Orlando this past preseason with a @107ist member who went east for a story about positive community action surrounding the Pulse nightclub tragedy #RCTID #BAONPDX

(61) we didn't just lend financial support to @OPIPdx. We also lent muscle at Westmoreland Park

(62) oh, did I mention that @107ist member @kpduck was the @MLS Community MVP of the year? This Community Outreach committee member & all around good human secured an additional $25k in support for Embrace Oregon & foster children. #BAONPDX #RCTID

(63) @107ist supported Outside In as well this year, an organization that provides services for homeless youth and other marginalized people in Portland #BAONPDX #RCTID

(64) @107ist match day drives for both Timbers and Thorns matches supported backpacks filled w/school supplies for homeless and transitional LGBTQXI teens served by The Living Room #RCTID #BAONPDX

(65) this one was under the radar: after a middle school student had racial slurs shouted at him while waiting for the bus, @107ist organized volunteer shifts to escort students at the school to and from city buses. No publicity, just the right thing to do #RCTID #BAONPDX

(66) @107ist fielded a team for the Oregon Humane Society's Doggie Dash; and @107ist partner @PortlandCider had a viewing party that collected pet supplies for the OHS as well.

(67) oh and of COURSE if you want to stand with the @timbersarmy at a Seattle or Vancouver away game, you really should buy a membership. First tickets to Cascadia Cup matches go to @107ist members, and when they're gone, they're gone. #RCTID

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Those are a LOT of good things done with your $25 membership! If you haven't joined or renewed yet, you can do it right now! And if you have more reasons to join/renew that I haven't listed, please feel free to add them below.

Thank you, members, for all that you do for team, town, and Timbers Army/Rose City Riveters. As always, it is an honor and a privilege to serve you.